Plastic Bags

The first plastic "baggies" for bread, sandwiches, fruits, and vegetables were introduced in the United States in 1957. Plastic trash bags were appearing in homes and along curbsides around the world by the late 1960s. But these items really took off in the mid- 1970s. Factories around the world churned out roughly 4-5 trillion plastic bags- from large trash bags to thick shopping bags to thin grocery bags- in 2002, according to estimates from the Chemical Market Associates, a consulting firm for the petrochemical industry. Some manufacturers have recently introduced biodegradable or compost able plastic bags, made from starches, polymers or poly-lactic acid, and no polyethylene. So far, these account for less than 1 percent of the market and prohibitively expensive, according to the Biodegradable Products Institute, an association that promotes the use of biodegradable polymeric materials.

An excerpt from the book State Of The World, 2004

Why Compost

Composting is nature’s way of recycling. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes composting in its definitions of recycling. Just as a glass bottle is a valuable resource, so are yard clippings. Glass is scrap material waiting to be melted and reformed, while leaves, grass, food scraps and paper towels are organic materials waiting to be converted into compost.

Why shouldn’t organic materials go to the landfill? In a landfill, decaying organic matters can react with other materials and create toxic leachate that may contaminate nearby streams or groundwater. Also, the majority of North America landfills will be full by the year 2000.

Landfills are filling up. The great trash barge in the summer of ’87 brought home the message to millions of people that we are running out of places to stash our trash. California has mandated cities and counties to reduce trash volume by 25% in 1995 and 50% in the year 2000 or face fines of $10,000 a day. Because of this looming threat, many cities are encouraging citizens to reduce their discards by backyard composting.
Compost improves soil structure, texture, and aeration as well as increasing its water-holding capacity. Compost loosens clay soils and helps sandy soils retain water. Adding compost to soil aids in erosion control, promotes soil fertility, and stimulates healthy root development in plants.

Generous amounts of rich compost can supply needed nutrients for healthy plant growth. In addition, planting green cover crops such as clover or vetch can significantly boost nitrogen levels in the soil. Nutrients release their nutrition gradually and in small doses over long periods of time.